DATE: Friday, April 25, 1997                TAG: 9704250605

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS 

SOURCE: Damon Tatem

                                            LENGTH:   33 lines

WEATHER CONDITIONS MAKE DAY SLOW

A combination of gusty northwest winds, cool weather, rough seas and dirty inshore water kept all types of fishing to a minimum Thursday along the Dare Coast.

Northern beach piers reported almost no fishermen trying. Those who braved the poor conditions caught nothing but a few skates.

On Hatteras Island, Rodanthe Pier reported no action. Fishermen on Avon Pier caught some skates and a few sea mullet during the morning, but little action was reported throughout the afternoon.

Skates were landed by the few people fishing on Frisco Pier.

Surf fishing was slow along the northern beaches and around Oregon Inlet.

A few sea mullet were hauled from the surf along the beach from Rodanthe to Buxton early Thursday, but a strong running tide slowed fishing as the day progressed.

An eight-pound bluefish was landed at Cape Point on Thursday morning. Scattered sea mullet were beached later in the day from the surf south of Cape Point.

Fishing was slow from Ramp 55 to False Point.

Gale warnings and rough seas kept charter boats tied to the dock from Oregon Inlet to Hatteras on Thursday.

Good sea mullet fishing should resume along the Outer Banks with the arrival of more seasonal weather this weekend.

The water temperature was 51.5 degrees Thursday at the Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck and 57 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island.

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